Bordeaux - Wines

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The Vineyards

Château Mongravey

Margaux is situated on the left bank of the River Gironde on one of the most sought-after terroirs of any in the wine world. It is the most southerly of the famous communes and it is characterised by thin, gravelly soils that are perfect for the noble Cabernet Sauvignon grape.

Owner and gifted winemaker of Château Mongravey Régis Bernaleau together with Karin Bernaleau and son Jérôme fashions lovely wines that embrace the classic, silky, perfumed elegance of the region from the delightful combination of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. These are wines that offer attractive drinking early on, but have the ability to age gracefully over a decade or more.

Our lovely, exclusive Margaux Cuvée 3D is made from a blend of handpicked Cabernet Sauvignon (70%) and Merlot (30%) grapes. It has been aged for 18 months in top-quality French oak barriques, 60% of which were new. Some ten different coopers are used which helps impart considerable complexity.

Deep in colour, our Cuvée 3D offers fine, exotic aromas of damson fruit, cedarwood and roasted coffee bean. In the mouth the wine is soft and supple with red and black fruits; raspberry, blackcurrant and plum fruit as well as the typical Mongravey exotic spices. The tannins are ripe and elegant and the finish long, spicy and creamy.

Margaux Cuvée 3D

Château de Braude is the Bernaleau’s second estate. It is a much awarded Cru Bourgeois made from a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot. It has been aged in 45% new oak for between 18 – 24 months. The barrels are French from eight different coopers, giving complexity to the final blend. It is a supple, juicy claret with crunchy plum and cherry fruit with beautiful definition, leading to a long, charry oak and spice finish. A stunning wine!

Château de Braude Haut-Médoc

Château Cardinal Villemaurine

Owner and gifted winemaker Paul Carrille is the fourth generation family member to run Château Cardinal Villemaurine. His Grand Cru château is superbly situated right on the edge of the town itself, complete with fascinating ancient cellars. He also owns some excellent old vine vineyards in nearby Lussac-St-Emilion.

Few wine regions have a greater reputation and world renown than St-Émilion. Nestled on the right bank of the river Dordogne, the ancient medieval town is a wonderfully atmospheric place to visit. In the last decade it has become a hotbed of innovation and talent.

Based on Merlot, the wines are rich, supple and ageworthy. They can be drunk young, but can age astonishingly well too!

Our St-Émilion Grand Cru Clos Villemaurineis the estates top cuvée and comes from a tiny two hectare walled plot in front of the château. It is a classic Grand Cru St-Émilion – a blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc which has been aged for 18 months in a mix of 400 litre and 225 litre French oak barrels.

It has an alluring nose of damson fruit, mocha and smoke leading to delicious sweet fruit in the mouth. Blackberry, blackcurrant and ripe plum prevail, supported by ripe tannins and a long Christmas cake and liquorice finish. A wonderfully crafted wine that will develop for over a decade, if you can wait!

Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

This lovely wine is from the Carrille’s second property called Château Caillou les Martins. It is a blend of 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Franc which has been aged in oak barriques for 12 months. It is deep in colour with a concentrated, mineral nose and palate of damson fruit, ripe plum and gentle spicy oak. It has a lovely smooth, fleshy structure. Try this with game pie, Sunday beef or Cantal cheese.

Lussac-St-Emillion

Château Monconseil-Gazin

Finding the perfect combination of people, place and product is never easy in Bordeaux. However, Château Monconseil-Gazin offer everything; consistently lovely wines, delightful, genuine people and a great place to visit.

On the gentle slopes above the village of Plassac, only a stone’s throw away from the famous Gironde estuary and the famous UNESCO fortress Citadelle de Blaye, one can find the stunning 16th-century ChâteauMonconseil-Gazin set amongst peaceful woods and hills. The hospitable Baudet family make wonderfully rich, spicy and supple wines with great care and skill. They work their land according to the philosophy of TERRA VITIS, which encourages sustainable viticulture and respect for their environment.

Our exclusive Blaye Grande Reserve Cuvée 3D is a classic blend of Merlot, which excels in the area, alongside Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. We also use a high percentage of Malbec, which can really enhance the aromatic and flavour profile.

Our exclusive Blaye Grande Réserve Cuvée 3D is a blend of predominantly Merlot with the balance being Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc aged in a variety of barriques, new and used, for 18 months. The exact blend depends on the specific vintage. It is a rich and spicy wine with an appealing nose of ripe black fruits, exotic spice and mocha. The palate is fresh and lush with sweet, spicy damson and blackcurrant fruit, spicy oak and grippy tannins. It is mouth-filling, rich and concentrated with a lovely juicy, spicy oak finish. It can be enjoyed young but will certainly benefit from ageing in a decent cellar for up to a decade.

Blaye Grande Réserve Cuvée 3D

The Baudets make excellent white wine too. Their Prestige is a blend of 80% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Semillon aged for six months in barriques with regular lees stirring (bâttonnage) for added richness and texture. The nose and palate offer ripe orchard and citrus fruits as well as spicy oak complexity from the barrel ageing. It is best enjoyed young and fruity.

Blaye blanc Prestige

Château Rousselle

The charismatic Vincent Lemaitre bought his handsome 17th-century château in 1999 after an exhaustive search across the whole of France. His path finally led him to this lovely part of Bordeaux, just a few hundred metres from the Gironde estuary on the right bank.

As Vincent shows you round the 24 hectare domaine it is evident just how much work and investment has taken place. It has certainly been worth it, as the terroir of this part of the Côtes de Bourg is superb with limestone and brown clay soils that resemble those of nearby St-Émilion. His wines, based predominantly on Merlot, are deliciously deep-fruited clarets that are smooth, juicy and supple.

Our exclusive cuvée of Côtes de Bourg is a blend of 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Malbec. The Merlot is sweet, juicy, oaky and plump and is an excellent foil to the savoury, structured Cabernet and the perfumed, chocolatey Malbec. It has been aged for 12 months in a mix of new and used barriques. It is deeply coloured with aromas of violet, spice and blackberry. In the mouth it is smooth and creamy with blueberry and blackcurrant fruit, pepper spice and mocha in the finish. It is a really well made, easy drinking claret that will be the ideal partner to Sunday beef or lamb. Drink within 6-8 years.

Côtes de Bourg

The Accommodation

The hotels, chambres d’hôtes and gîtes we recommend in Bordeaux are all personally known to us and are where we stay when we visit our winemakers. They have been selected because they are convenient for the vineyards, offer a warm welcome and provide good value for money within their category.

Most of our recommended places to stay offer a discount to 3D members.